


Hungry Eyes

by RavenclawPianist



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Bellamy as Johnny, Clarke as Baby, Dirty Dancing AU, F/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-08 15:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4310493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawPianist/pseuds/RavenclawPianist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke expects the summer to be long and boring when she is forced to spend it at her mother’s boyfriend’s resort. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with the dance instructor. A Dirty Dancing AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Clarke scowled out the car window as they passed the giant sign marking the beginning of the road leading to the main lodge of The Ark Resort. The bright sunshine outside glanced off the water of the lake that could just be seen from the gravel road, the laughter and shrieks of other resort guests drifting across the open space on a light breeze. She fidgeted slightly in the passenger seat of the car, already wishing they were leaving instead of just arriving. Her mother glanced over at her as the car slowed. 

“For god’s sake, Clarke, at least try to look like you’re happy to be here,” Abby scolded. “Marcus was wonderful to invite us to stay here for the summer, and it’s a great opportunity for you to get to know him better. Please don’t ruin this with a poor attitude.”

Clarke huffed out a breath. “Ruin what, Mom? I doubt your whole summer could be ruined by my ‘poor attitude’.”

“Just promise me you’ll give Marcus a chance. You haven’t spent much time with him before, but this will be your chance to really bond,” Abby clarified. “I want the two of you to get along.”

“Why does it matter?” she demanded. “It’s not like you’re going to get married.”

The faintest blush colored Abby’s cheeks as she pulled the car to a stop directly in front of the main lodge. “It’s much too early to be thinking about that,” she replied. 

Clarke’s scowl deepened as she flung open the passenger door and stepped out. She narrowed her eyes against the light and looked around, noting the perfectly manicured grass, two sets of volleyball courts in the lawn on the opposite side of the parking area from the lodge, and a series of guest cabins in an orderly line leading away from the lodge towards a thick stand of trees. 

“Abby! Clarke! I’m so glad to see you. How was the drive?” A middle-aged man with dark hair and crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes called out as he hurried down the stairs from the lodge’s entrance. He pressed a quick kiss to Abby’s cheek when he reached her, looking over the top of the car at Clarke and smiling kindly. “Clarke, how are you?”

“The drive was lovely,” Abby replied before Clarke could answer. “Marcus, your resort looks beautiful. You do not do yourself justice.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, looking away from the couple. She watched as a teenaged boy with floppy brown hair walked down the stairs towards them, his white collared shirt and khaki pants marking him as an employee. He nodded to Clarke as he passed her and went to the trunk of their car, pulling out their suitcases and setting them on the sidewalk along the edge of the parking area.

“I have you staying in our best cabin,” Marcus Kane was telling Abby. “It’s the furthest from the lodge, but it has the most beautiful view of the woods and the creek that runs from the lake. I think you’ll really like it.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Abby agreed. 

Marcus smiled. “Great. Jasper will take care of your bags if you’d like to join me in the lodge for some iced tea before going to your cabin?”

“Iced tea is exactly what I need after that drive,” Abby replied. “Come along, Clarke.”

Glancing up at the lodge and back at the adults, Clarke pasted on her most agreeable smile. “Actually, I’m feeling a bit tired. Would you mind if I went straight to the cabin? I need a light nap and then I’ll be good as new.”

Small lines appeared at the corners of Abby’s mouth. “Are you sure? Perhaps the refreshments would revive you?”

Marcus took Abby by the hand. “No, that would be fine. There will be plenty of time for all three of us to spend together. Jasper, please show Miss Griffin to Cabin 12.”

The boy nodded as he picked up the two large suitcases again. “Right this way, Miss Griffin,” he said to Clarke before starting off down the sidewalk. Clarke slung her purse strap over her shoulder before following him, not bothering to look back to see the disapproving look on her mother’s face. 

“I could carry one of those,” she offered after they were out of earshot of the adults. “I know how heavy they are.”

“It’s no problem,” Jasper replied, voice mildly strained.

Clarke frowned. “Seriously, let me carry one. I feel stupid just walking along while you’re lugging two suitcases.”

“It’s my job,” he said. 

“Aren’t you supposed to do what the customer asks?” Clarke asked. “I’m asking you to give me one of the suitcases to carry. Now hand it over.”

Jasper smiled, his lips slightly crooked. “You’re really stubborn, aren’t you?”

“The most stubborn you will ever meet,” she grinned as he handed her the bright blue suitcase that held her things. “I’m Clarke, by the way.” 

“I’m Jasper,” he replied. “So your mom is dating Kane, huh?”

Clarke sighed. “Yeah. She dragged me out to a resort in the middle of nowhere for the entire summer so she could spend time with her boyfriend. Worst summer ever, right?”

He shrugged, shoulder moving up in an awkward motion. “It could be worse. This place isn’t so bad if you know where to look for some fun.”

“And where should I look? Wednesday night Bingo?” she asked sarcastically.

Jasper laughed. “I’d recommend the one o’clock dance classes. The instructors are a lot of fun. And, I mean, there’s always the lake and tennis and stuff like that.”

“Yeah, I’m not really the sporty type,” Clarke replied as they started to climb the little staircase to the door of Cabin 12. “Come on, what do you do for fun when you’re not working?”

“The staff have our own cabin area and we all just hang out there when we have time off,” Jasper explained, unlocking the door with one of the many keys on a ring on his belt. “We don’t really get to mingle with the guests much unless we’re working.” 

Clarke frowned. “Well, that’s stupid. Why can’t you hang out with guests?”

“It’s Kane’s policy,” Jasper said, setting the bag down inside the door. “I’ve found its better not to question the guy who signs my paycheck, so I just go with it. If you need anything you can just call down to the front desk. It was nice to meet you, Clarke.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she called as he walked back down the wooden stairs to the sidewalk. Clarke dropped her suitcase off in one of the bedrooms in the cabin, walking over to the window and looking at the view of the woods behind their cabin. The woods weren’t as thick as they seemed from a distance. Through gaps in the trees she could make out the shapes of smaller cabins on the other side of the wood. Glancing at a clock on the nightstand and quickly calculating how long her mother would spend with Kane before bothering to come to the cabin, Clarke opened her suitcase and pulled out a sketchpad and a pencil. Flipping the lid back onto the case, she walked out of the cabin and towards the woods. 

There was a beaten path that led through the woods a few feet from the base of the steps leading up to her cabin. Clarke followed it through the woods, looking around at the trees and the wildflowers that grew beneath them. It only took about ten minutes to get to the other side of the woods, and then the smaller cabins were in front of her. All the pathways here were made of gravel and the cabins looked rougher and much smaller than those of the guests. The area was quiet, only the sound of the breeze, gravel crunching under her feet, and a few birds reaching Clarke’s ears. 

“What are you doing here?” A gruff voice asked from her left. 

Clarke jumped, turning to look at the speaker. A tall boy- young man really- leaned against a tree and watched her with dark, suspicious eyes. His hair was a mess of waves and curls, his skin a deep tan, and he wore a pair of black jeans with a white wife-beater tank. She could see the smooth lines of muscles in his arms and in the way the shirt clung to his body. Realizing she was staring, she refocused on his face. 

“I was following the trail,” she answered, pointing behind her at the woods. 

“This area is off-limits to guests,” he said, still not smiling. “You should go back.”

She bristled slightly at his tone. “Fine,” Clarke replied. “Sorry to have interrupted your very important leaning.”

He glared at her as she turned away and reentered the woods. She walked halfway through the trees before stopping by a large rock. Sitting down on it, she looked around and opened her sketchbook. Focusing on a clump of wildflowers, she began to draw. 

Clarke returned to the cabin an hour later, the wildflower sketch completed on one of the pages of her sketchbook. Her mother had arrived at the cabin and was unpacking in the other bedroom. “Where have you been?”

“I just took a walk,” Clarke replied, going into her own room. 

Abby followed. “Clarke, you can’t just wander off. I’m sure the paths are safe, but you never know. And you really should have joined Marcus and me for refreshments. It was rude of you to refuse.”

“I have all summer to have refreshments with you and your boyfriend,” Clarke said. “I don’t think he’ll mind that I missed one day.” 

“You will be joining us for dinner tonight,” Abby stated. “And please change into something nicer. The restaurant is fancier than jeans, and do something with your hair. I’m so tired of seeing it hang in your face.” 

Clarke counted to ten in her head as Abby left her alone. Flipping open her suitcase, Clarke began to put the clothes in the dresser and closet in the room. She placed a small pile of books on the dresser along with her sketchbook. A small framed photograph went on the nightstand. The cherry wood frame held a picture of a sandy-haired man and a younger Clarke. They both were grinning and held ice cream cones. A Ferris wheel stood in the background. 

Once her things were settled, Clarke threw herself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the beginning of a very long summer. 

Four and a half hours later found Clarke in a lavender short-sleeved dress that fell to her knees. Her blonde hair had been pinned up into a small knot at the back of her head. She toyed with the water glass at her table setting while her mother and Kane spoke about the excellence of the food. Her own plate of chicken alfreado sat half unfinished in front of her, a breadstick picked apart on the edge of the dish. 

“I hear you went on a walk this afternoon,” Marcus said to her, shifting in his seat to look at her. “Which trail did you take?”

“The one through the woods,” Clarke replied. 

His smile dimmed slightly. “The one to the staff area?”

“Yep,” Clarke said. “The woods are cool.”

Marcus nodded. “Yes, we have some excellent flowers back there. However, Clarke, I am going to ask that you don’t go on that path again. We try to keep our guests and the staff separated as much as possible.”

“Why?” Clarke asked. “I mean, they’re people too.”

“Yes, they are,” he said patiently. “However, they are employees. They are paid to be here and work and it doesn’t make sense or turn out well if they spend too much time with our paying guests who are here to relax and enjoy themselves.”

“Are you saying that you keep the staff and guests separate because the guests are wealthy and the staff have to earn their pay?” Clarke demanded. 

“Of course not,” Kane replied smoothly. “I’m saying that the two groups are here for very different reasons and I see no reason for them to mix when their goals are so different. Now, how about dessert?”

“I’m not very hungry,” Clarke bit back. 

“Clarke,” Abby warned. “Have some dessert. We can sit and chat some more. Why don’t you tell Marcus about the universities to which you have been applying?”

Clarke grit her teeth as Abby launched into the list of schools she had forced Clarke to consider for college. All of them had great pre-med programs, and not a single one had an art program worth mentioning.

An hour of inane chitchat later and Clarke was freed from the table. Abby remained at the table with a cup of coffee and Kane, deep in a discussion of the schedule of activities for the next day. Clarke left the main lodge and began taking the path back to the cabin, a group of chattering girls behind her.

“Hey,” she heard one of them call to her. “I love your dress.”

She turned around and came face-to-face with a dark-haired girl with green eyes. They were almost the same height and the brunette had a classically beautiful face. Her companions wore the employee uniform of a white collared shirt with khaki pants, but she wore a dark gray halter dress. Her hair was falling down from what had clearly been an elaborate ballerina bun. 

“Thanks,” Clarke said. 

“I’m Octavia,” the brunette said, starting to walk beside Clarke. “I help teach the dance lessons. You should sign up for one, they’re pretty fun or so I hear.” 

“I’ll think about it,” she replied. “Thanks.”

Octavia pursed her lips. “What’s your name?”

“Um, Clarke.”

“Well, Clarke, are you doing anything right now?”

“I was just going to go back to my cabin,” Clarke admitted.

Octavia grinned. “How would you like to go to a party instead? It’s the first Saturday of the season, and we staff members want to celebrate.”

One of the girls with her leaned forward to mutter in Octavia’s ear. The brunette shook her head and laughed. “Please, it’s a party! Everyone is allowed at a party. If Bellamy has a problem with her being there, he can talk to me.”

“I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” Clarke said. “Thank you for inviting me, but I’m not really even supposed to go to the staff area, right?”

“That rule is so stupid,” Octavia replied. “Come on, it’ll be fun! There’s music and drinks and I think we even managed to get some watermelons and chips. Come on, Clarke, I promise it’ll be the most fun place at this resort tonight.”

Thinking of the movie night happening at the main lodge, Clarke didn’t doubt Octavia’s assurance. “Are you sure no one will mind?”

Octavia grinned, linking her arm through Clarke’s. “If anyone cares, then they can come talk to me. So, where are you from?”

They chatted as they followed the path through the woods, the sound of pounding music getting louder as they approached the staff cabins. Octavia let out a cheer when they reached the group of employees, mostly teenagers, milling around the cabins. “What’s up bitches?!”

A few people laughed and Octavia led Clarke through the crowd, telling her names as they passed people. “Monty’s the Asian with Jasper, do you know Jasper? Cool. Miller is the one by the music, Anya is the bitchy looking girl over at the table, Charlotte is the kid who is way too young to be here, I seriously think she lied on her job application. Murphy is the asshole hanging out with Anya, and Raven is the girl with the perfect black hair and the red jacket,” Octavia took a breath, grinning over at a large guy with tattoos up his bared arms. “That’s Lincoln. You can look all you want but no touching because I’ve been dating him for the past five months, okay?”

Clarke laughed. “Okay. So, um, what now?”

“What do you mean?” Octavia asked. “It’s a party.”

“Tell me you didn’t bring one of the guests here,” a gruff voice said from behind the two girls. Clarke turned to face the guy who had been leaning against the tree when she had visited the staff area earlier in the day. Somehow his hair had become even more of a mess. He glanced at her for a second before looking back to Octavia. “O, she’s obviously not an employee.”

“So what?” Octavia asked. “Come on, Bellamy, this is a party. Clarke is a friend, I invited her.”

“A friend huh?” the guy asked. “How long have you known each other?”

Octavia waved a hand through the air. “Time is relative. Relax, Bell. It’s not like Clarke is going to tell on us, right?”

“Right,” Clarke nodded. 

Bellamy’s lips pursed before he sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. “Fine. I need a drink.”

Octavia grinned in triumph as he walked away. “He’s my big brother,” she told Clarke. “He worries way too much about everything. But, I mean, he’s kind of the reason I have this job anyway.” 

“What do you mean?” Clarke asked. 

“He’s been the dance instructor here for the past few summers,” the brunette said. “He used to work with this girl, Lexa, but she left for a job in Canada this spring, so Bellamy needed a new partner. I’ve been dancing almost as long as he is, so he took me on as his partner. He can be kind of a pain, but it sure beats working as a waitress all summer, you know?”

Clarke nodded. Octavia grinned and shimmied slightly to the music. “Hey, you gonna be alright on your own? I want to go grab Lincoln for a dance.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Clarke said. Octavia gave her a quick hug around the shoulders before darting through the crowd to reappear beside Lincoln. Within seconds they were in the middle of the group of people dancing. They and everyone around them were pressed together at the hips, swaying to the music and pulling apart only for seconds before dipping back together and resuming the dance. Clarke stayed where she was on the edge of the party, unsure of what to do with herself.

“Do you dance?” Bellamy asked, once again showing up at her side without making any noise. 

“Not much,” Clarke admitted, watching the people moving to the music. “I never really had a reason to learn.”

“Alright,” Bellamy grabbed her hand and tugged her after him towards the people dancing. Clarke followed, too surprised to do anything else and focused on the warmth of his hand over hers. He stopped them on the edge of what was apparently considered the dancefloor, releasing her hand and instead placing one hand on her hip and the other on her back. The places he touched burned. 

“This kind of dance doesn’t really have a name,” he said into her ear, raising the hair on her neck. “Basically the point is to really get into sync with the music and your partner. Just follow my lead, okay?”

She nodded as he pressed her up against him, maneuvering them into the same kind of position as the other people dancing. Their hips pressed together and Clarke felt her cheeks warm. Silently she blessed the darkness for providing cover for her embarrassment. Bellamy began to circle his hips, making her do the same as a result of how they were pressed together. He kept his face by the side of her head. “I’m going to push you into a dip, okay?”

Clarke didn’t even get a chance to respond before he was leaning forward and lightening the pressure of his hand on her back. She felt herself go a bit off balance as she leaned away from him, his hand providing just enough support to keep her from falling. He pulled her back up again, once more resuming the circling of their hips in time with the music. As the song ended he grabbed her hand and spun her out. 

“Thanks for the dance,” he said before leaving her standing on the edge of the dancefloor. She watched as he walked away from the party towards the last cabin in the row. She flinched slightly when Octavia returned and threw an arm around her shoulders. 

“My brother isn’t much for parties,” she explained. “I saw you dancing, you’re not bad. I think you have some natural talent. Sign up for my class tomorrow?”

Clarke nodded. “Sure.” 

Octavia grinned. “Awesome. Now come on, you still need to meet people.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the 100 or the characters. Or Dirty Dancing, for that matter.

Clarke stood in a line with a few other guests a week and a half later at one o’clock, staring at her reflection in a wall of mirrors. Octavia stood in front of them all, dressed in a strappy red tank top and a flowy grey skirt. “Alright, so this is a form of the mambo. Watch me first, and then we’ll start working on the steps.”

After an hour of following Octavia’s instructions, Clarke and most of the other students had gotten the hang of the mambo. Octavia beamed at them all. “Great job, guys! Don’t forget to practice, and I’ll hopefully see some of you over the next few days in preparation for the dance next week!”

Clarke hung behind as the rest of the class filed out of the room. Octavia winked at her in the mirror as she said goodbye to the other students. Once the two girls were alone, Octavia bounced over to where Clarke stood by the window and sunk into a seat on the floor, one leg stretched in front of her. “You’re starting to get good.”

“Thanks,” Clarke smiled as she settled into a tailor’s seat on the floor beside the brunette. “Mostly it’s just because the rest of the class was made up of old ladies who probably need their hips replaced. The comparison makes me look good. "

Octavia laughed. “So, what else do you have planned for today?”

She shrugged. “Nothing much. I was thinking of walking over to the lake and sunbathing for a while, but I don’t know if I want to deal with the kids that’ll be there.”

Octavia grimaced. “I don’t blame you. I’m so glad I don’t have to be the lifeguard. Raven says it sucks.” 

Clarke had spent most of her time since the employee party with Octavia, Raven, Jasper, and Monty. They all had work to do and activities to lead, but Clarke was able to spend time with them between their scheduled duties and in the evenings once they were off for the day. She enjoyed their company and the excuse it gave her to stay out of the cabin. 

Octavia pushed herself into a stretch. “Hey, would I possibly be able to ask you a favor?” 

“What’s up?” Clarke asked. 

“Um,” Octavia stalled. “So, Lincoln and I have an anniversary coming up in a week and I want to go out to meet him and have a nice dinner and everything, but Bellamy and I are scheduled to perform at another resort in the area. And I know that Lincoln and I could just go out another night, but it’ll be our six month and I really want to go on the actual night, you know?”

“Okay, but how can I help with any of that?” Clarke asked.

“Would you be willing to cover for me?” Octavia blurted out. “I’ll teach you the routines and I’ll make Bellamy agree and you’ll dance with him that night and I’ll go meet up with Lincoln?”

Clarke paled. “You want me to dance in front of people and pretend to be an actual dancer? Octavia, I can barely manage the mambo!”

“It’s a really simple routine,” Octavia begged. “We’ll go over it a ton and we have a full week and this would mean so much to me if you’d help me out.”

“Bellamy doesn’t like me very much,” Clarke said. “Do you really think he’ll agree to dance with me just because you want to go on a date with your boyfriend?”

“I think I have him wrapped around my finger and if you agree I can get him to agree,” Octavia replied. “Please Clarke?”

She sighed. “Do you really think I’d be able to learn the routine and everything in time?”

Octavia squealed and threw herself at Clarke. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

That night at eight o’clock Clarke showed up at the staff cabins, dressed in a grey tank top and a pair of cutoff jeans. Octavia was waiting on the step of her cabin and jumped up when she saw the blonde. “Hey! So, Bellamy is on his way with the music. Come on in and let’s get started.” 

“Lincoln was so thrilled to hear that we found a way to make this work,” Octavia said as Clarke walked into the little cabin. “I hate that he is getting shipped out soon, but I’m really glad that he was able to be here for the weeks he can, you know?”

“Where’s he going again?” Clarke asked. 

“Basic training,” Octavia scowled. “At least he isn’t being sent into a warzone, I guess. Still, I’ll miss him and he knows that if he gets seriously hurt I’ll kill him.”

“War is nothing compared to you, baby sister,” Bellamy said as he entered the room, a CD in his hand that he immediately placed in the boom-box in the corner of the room. “Clarke.”

“Bellamy,” she replied, nodding at him. 

Octavia rolled her shoulders. “Okay, I was thinking first Bellamy and I could show you the whole routine and then we’ll start breaking apart and go over the basic steps tonight.”

Bellamy nodded and started the music. Clarke watched in awe as the siblings danced the samba, applauding when they were done. Octavia stepped back and Bellamy beckoned for Clarke to get up and join him. He grabbed her hands and positioned one on his shoulder while keeping hold of the other. “This is called the frame. You stay in your space and I stay in mine. This is part of what gives us a crisp look while dancing.”

Octavia stood behind Clarke, circling her and Bellamy. “The main thing to remember is to follow Bellamy. He’s leading you, so let him be in control. Trust me; he’s enough of a control freak that it’s just easier that way.”

Bellamy ignored his sister, dark eyes trained on Clarke. “The key to any good dance partnership is trust. You have to trust that I will lead you correctly I have to trust that you will follow. Normally pairs would have years to build up that trust, but we have one week, so we’ll need to learn to trust each other quickly, alright?”

Clarke nodded, not breaking their eye contact. She could feel her hand getting slightly sweaty in his, a little unnerved by the focus in his voice and eyes.

“We’ll really start on the trust thing tomorrow,” Octavia said. “Tonight I think we should work on the basic steps. Clarke, watch my feet. These are the main steps of the dance.”

After three hours of being drilled on the steps and footwork of the samba, Clarke made her way back to Cabin 12. Despite closing the door as quietly as possible, Abby still appeared as soon as Clarke was through the door. “Where have you been?”

“Out,” Clarke said shortly, heading for her room so she could collect her things for a shower. 

“Well clearly you’ve been out,” Abby replied. “I haven’t seen you since supper. What have you been doing Clarke? You can’t just go off on your own all the time.”

“I was hanging out with friends,” Clarke said. “You wanted me to make friends here, right?”

“Of course I want you to make friends,” Abby said. “What are their names?”

“Octavia, Raven, Jasper,” Clarke said. “You’ve seen them.”  
Abby’s lips thinned. “Aren’t those all staff members?”

“So?”

“Clarke,” Abby sighed. “You know Marcus’s policy. He doesn’t like it when the guests and staff fraternize.”

“It’s a stupid rule,” Clarke said. “They’re nice people and much more interesting than the guests my age. I swear, if I have to hear one more kid talk about the latest celebrity gossip or how much their family’s yacht cost I will scream.” 

“I’m sure there are good kids your age,” Abby disagreed. “What about that Wells fellow who we had lunch with the other day? He seemed nice.”

“He also has never had a unique thought in his life,” Clarke replied. “He’s planning to go into law, just like his father, at Georgetown, just like his father, and then go into corporate law at the family firm, just like his father.”

“There is nothing wrong with wanting to be like a parent,” Abby said. 

“There is when they even dress alike,” Clarke said. “Mom, just stop it. I will be friends with whoever I want. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get ready for bed.”

Abby left her alone with only one more disapproving look. Clarke went into the bathroom and locked the door, turning on the shower and stripping down before stepping under the hot stream of water. She rubbed her face as the water soaked her hair, thinking about the difference between the warm relationship of Bellamy and Octavia and the strained relationship of her and her mother. 

The next day she met with Bellamy while Octavia taught the one o’clock mamba lesson. They met in Bellamy’s cabin, the air between them tense as they stared at each other from across the room. “Show me what you remember from last night,” he said.

Clarke did the footwork that Octavia had taught her the previous night, not mentioning that she had gone over the routine three times after her shower and before going to bed. Bellamy didn’t say a word while she ran through it, watching her from a chair beside his bed. “Not bad, but you need to step more lightly. Stay balanced on the balls of your feet,” he stood up, circling her as she started to go through the steps again. “Your heels should never touch the floor; keep your balance, Princess!”

She gritted her teeth, going through the steps again and again, feeling her calves start to burn from keeping her heels in the air. Finally Bellamy stopped her and stepped into her space, one hand on her waist and the other taking one of hers. Silently he reformed their frame and started to lead her through the steps she had been rehearsing, stepping forward when she stepped back and mirroring her movements with more grace and skill than she thought she’d ever be able to reach. 

“Stop thinking so much,” he ordered. “Dancing isn’t about thought. It’s about the music, the movement, and the connection between dancers. Leave thinking out of it.”

“Maybe you can turn off your thoughts at a moment’s notice, but not all of us are so lucky,” Clarke snapped back.

He scowled. “Then learn to shut them off, Princess. And hold that frame!” Bellamy stiffened his own arms further, reminding her that her own arms had started to wobble a little. 

Two hours later Clarke left his cabin, legs and arms sore from the practice and effort of holding the frame and foot positions. Once back at her own cabin she took a quick shower and changed into a pale blue button-down tank top and a knee-length flowy white skirt. She left her hair down and slipped on a pair of flip-flops before heading over to the main lodge. Abby was already waiting for her in the lobby. 

“I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten,” Abby said with a strained smile. “Now come along, I’m sure Marcus is already waiting at the table. I wish you’d been more punctual, he has a meeting at four o’clock and so won’t be able to stay with us long.”

“Sorry,” Clarke muttered. “But I don’t see why this is so important. We’ll all be together at dinner in a few hours, why do we have to have afternoon tea?”

“Because we are here as a family,” Abby replied, warning in her voice.

“A family?” Clarke repeated. “You and me, sure. We’re family. Kane is not.”

“Clarke,” Abby pulled her to a stop just inside the doors to the patio where guests sat around sipping iced tea and eating finger sandwiches. “Marcus is a good man and I care for him. He may not yet officially be family but you are to treat as if he were, do you understand?”

“Oh, so I should plan out his life for him, act like I know better at all times, and then forget him as quickly as possible so I can move on with my life?” Clarke hissed. “Gee, Mom, you’re right. I should treat him like family.”

Abby paled. “Clarke Griffin, you apologize to me this instant. You don’t know what you are saying.”

“Actually, Mom, I know exactly what I’m saying,” she replied, pulling her arm out of her mother’s grip. “You know, I’m really not in the mood for tea. Why don’t you tell Marcus I have a headache or something? I wouldn’t want to ruin your lovely afternoon.”

Clarke spun and walked back into the lobby, refusing to look back and see the expression on her mother’s face. She stormed out of the main lodge and rushed down the stairs to the pavement path, pacing back and forth for a few moments before walking towards the beach at a brisk pace. Ignoring the families still splashing in the shallows and the other teenage guests who had chosen to sunbathe rather than have tea with their families, she walked straight into the water. The liquid felt cool against her skin, soaking her clothes and returning some small bit of peace to her emotions. Breathing more steadily, she turned around and headed back to the shore. 

Jasper and Raven sat waiting on the beach for her to return, both officially on their breaks. Raven held out a towel to Clarke, who accepted it wordlessly and wrapped it around her waist before sitting beside them on the sand. 

“Rough day?” Jasper asked, his bony legs and arms spread out on the sand. 

Clarke sighed. “You have no idea.”

“Bellamy trouble or parent trouble?” Raven asked, her brown eyes focused on Clarke’s face. 

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Clarke replied, rolling her shoulders back. “Let’s just say that my mother is not someone I want to be around at all right now.”

“Fair enough,” Raven replied, carefully raining a handful of sand down onto Jasper’s stomach. “We have thirty minutes before we have to get back to work, do you want to go to the kitchens and get something to eat?”

Clarke glanced down at her wet clothes. “I probably should change first.”

“No one will care that you decided to take an impromptu swim,” Jasper remarked, still not noticing the small pile of sand Raven was creating on him. “We’ll hang out in the break area and glare at anyone who comes too close.”

“You and I will glare,” Raven said to Clarke. “Jasper will just look like he’s trying to decide if he recognizes someone. His glare needs work.”

“Well, I am sorry that I am generally a nice person,” Jasper said with a groan as he sat up and spilled sand all over his lap. “I haven’t had many reasons to learn to glare properly at people.”

“Hang out with me long enough and you’ll learn,” Clarke replied, standing up. She offered Raven a hand and helped the other girl to her feet while Jasper jumped up and attempted to brush the sand off his uniform. The three teens walked in a row towards the back of the main lodge. “I’ve been told my glare could stop a charging elephant.”

“Now that is a compliment,” Raven remarked. Jasper laughed.

Four hours and an incredibly icy and uncomfortable dinner later, Clarke stood facing Bellamy in the dance studio. Octavia stood behind Clarke, acting as a mold for her as the three moved through the steps of the dance at half-pace. Between the siblings Clarke kept her frame solid and was careful not to step onto either of their feet. As the song ended Octavia stepped away, leaving Clarke’s back feeling slightly cold without her warmth. “Alright, I think Clarke has the frame and steps down. It’s time to start adding in the spins.”

Bellamy nodded. “Here’s where you have to start really following my lead, Princess. Think you can do that?”

“Start the music,” Clarke told Octavia, glaring at Bellamy as she accepted his hand to reform their frame. He smirked at her as they took the first step. She glanced down at their feet for a moment, only to feel his hand on her chin as he brought her head back up so she had to meet his eyes. 

“Eyes on me,” he said. “Don’t look down at the floor. If you mess up, you mess up and we train harder.”

Their eyes locked, they continued moving through the steps with Octavia watching like a hawk from the sidelines. Partway through the song Bellamy put pressure on Clarke’s side to push her out in a spin and then pull her back into their normal frame position. He did that a few more times before the end of the song, ending with a simple dip. 

“We’ll be putting in a few more complicated spins later, but tonight we’ll just use the basic spin as a placeholder,” Bellamy told her. “Octavia, how’d it look?”

“Not bad,” she replied, recoiling her dark hair in a bun on the top of her head. “The basic spin is simple enough, and you’re getting the steps. Clarke, you just need to relax. I can see how tense you are from here, and I know earlier you were wound super tight. I could feel it in your arms and shoulders.”

Clarke nodded, still holding onto Bellamy’s hand and shoulder so they’d be ready to start as soon as the music began again. She knew Octavia was right: she could feel tension in all of her muscles as a result of holding the position, the exercise, and the events of the day. She flinched when Bellamy moved his hand from her waist and poked her there instead. “Why are you so tense?”

“It’s not important,” Clarke replied loftily. “Are we going through the dance again?”

He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “Remember what I said about trust? You’re not going to be able to fully trust me to lead you properly if you won’t talk with me.”

“It’s more important for me to learn the dance right now,” Clarke argued. “We can sit around and share feelings some other time.”

Octavia stifled a giggle. “If nothing else, you two definitely have good chemistry.”

Bellamy glared at his sister. “Just play the music, O.”

Still smirking, Octavia pressed play on the music and Clarke and Bellamy began the steps again. They included the spins and the dip at the end. Rather than give any feedback, Octavia immediately restarted the song. After another hour of practice with the basic spins and one slightly more advanced spin, she shut off the music and stood up. “Let’s call it a night. Think you could meet us here at seven tomorrow morning, Clarke? We should be able to get in at least an hour before anyone thinks to look for us.”

Clarke nodded, stepping away from Bellamy and catching her breath. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

“Great,” Octavia grinned before heading for the door. “You are getting the hang of this, you know? Dancing is mostly muscle memory, and after a few more days of this you’ll be able to do the routine in your sleep.”

“Plan for seven o’clock tomorrow morning and one o’clock at my cabin again,” Bellamy said as he shrugged into a beat up leather jacket. “I wasn’t kidding about you needing to learn to trust me. We’ll work on that tomorrow.”

Clarke followed the siblings out of the studio, wondering why Bellamy’s words sounded vaguely like a threat.


	3. Chapter 3

“Come on,” Bellamy said the next day at one when Clarke showed up at his cabin. “We’re not staying here.”

“What do you mean we’re not staying here?” Clarke demanded as she followed him to a beat up pick-up truck. He opened the passenger side door for her and motioned for her to climb in. She hopped up onto the leather seat, watching as he closed her door and walked around the front of the car to get into the driver’s seat. 

“I mean we’re going somewhere else to practice,” he said as he drove the truck onto a gravel road. “We’re working on new things today.”

“And these things couldn’t be worked on in your cabin?” Clarke asked.

“Stop asking so many questions,” he said. “Haven’t you ever just gone with the flow?”

She scoffed. “Please. I can be just as flexible as the next person.”

“Sure, just like you can relax as easily as the next person,” he replied sarcastically.

Clarke rolled her eyes and ignored him, staring out the window as they continued down the gravel road and drove through a few thickets of woods before pulling to a stop beside a lake. Unlike the lake at the resort, the beach was empty. The entire area was still, the water gently lapping at the rough sand shoreline. Woods stretched out on the other side of the truck, shadows dancing through the green leaves and brown tree trunks. Bellamy got out of the truck and motioned for Clarke to follow. 

She followed him to the edge of the woods, watching as he looked around for something. He started walking further in before noticing she wasn’t keeping up. “Come on, Princess.”

Pursing her lips at the idiotic nickname, she followed, stepping over plants and doing her best not to get tripped by anything on the ground. Bellamy stopped beside a broken tree, hand on the log that had fallen and stuck at his waist’s height. “How’s your balance?”

“Fine,” she replied.

His eyebrows lifted. “Well, let’s test that, shall we?” Bellamy swung himself up onto the log, slowly straightening himself up into a standing position once on it. He offered a hand to Clarke, waiting to pull her up after him.

She glared, not bothering to take his hand. “You realize that I can’t reach you, right?” Clarke huffed. “You’re already way taller than me.”

He smiled, little dimples appearing on each side of his mouth as he crouched back down and offered her his hand again. “Better?”

Clarke took his hand this time, still frowning. “Better.” 

He held her hand with one of his while he leaned forward and quickly leaned back again with an arm around her waist, pulling her up onto the log with him this time. She held tightly onto his hand, her other arm linked around his neck while he pulled her up. Bellamy stood up slowly with her still in his arms once they were both on the log, dark brown eyes locked on her blue ones. They stood there for a moment, hearts beating against each other’s chests and eyes boring into each other. 

Carefully Bellamy let go of her waist, letting her arm slide away from his neck at the same time. “So, balance. Let’s form the frame and work on the simple back-and-forth steps,” he said, voice sounding a little huskier than normal. “Arms up.”

They settled into their frame, moving carefully on the fallen tree. “Don’t let your heels touch the tree,” he reminded Clarke as they stepped. “Stay light on your feet.”

They wobbled slightly and Clarke tightened her hold on Bellamy, eyes wide. He laughed, thumb moving soothingly over her hand in his. “Calm down, I’ve got you. You won’t fall, or if you do, I will fall first and make sure you land on me.”

“Is that supposed to make me trust you?” she asked. “I’m more of a believer in action over words. Not that I want you to make us fall off the log,” Clarke added hurriedly. 

“Relax, Princess,” he murmured, carefully walking her backwards along the log. “We’re not going to fall.”

After about fifteen minutes of balance work on the log Bellamy hopped down, reaching up to Clarke to help her down with his hands on either side of her waist. She slid down to set her feet on the ground with his help. He let her go once she was firmly on the earth, once again leading the way out of the trees and towards the small beach. Bellamy removed his shoes and rolled up the cuffs of his jeans, settling down on the rough sand. Clarke sat down carefully beside him, a foot of space in between them. 

“What’s your story, Princess?” Bellamy asked without preamble. “Why are you helping Octavia? You barely know her.”

“I guess I’m just a nice person,” she replied sarcastically as she took off her shoes. “Does it matter why I’m doing this? I’m helping you guys out.”

“It matters to me,” he said. “Octavia is my sister and my responsibility. Why are you helping her?”

“She’s my friend,” Clarke answered. “Friends help each other. That’s it.”

“You barely know her,” he repeated.

Clarke shrugged. “I know her well enough to want to help her. And, I don’t know, I like learning how to dance. It doesn’t hurt that this means I have less time to spend around my mother, too.”

“What’s the deal there?” Bellamy asked, leaning back on his elbows and stretching out. “Are you just trying to piss your mom off by hanging out with the staff all summer?”

“It’s a lot more complicated than that,” Clarke said, curling her fingers into the sand and feeling grains of it get under her fingernails. 

“Then explain,” he offered.

“Why do you care?” she asked. “My relationship with my mother doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“Maybe,” Bellamy agreed, keeping his gaze off across the lake. “But it has everything to do with you, and you’re my partner, so it should matter.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Is this part of that trust thing you were talking about?”

He shrugged, a smirk tilting his lips. “Maybe. Come on, Clarke. Let me pick your brain a little. You need to learn to relax around me, and one way to do that is to let me actually know you.”

“Or I could just learn the dance and work on breathing exercises or something to relax,” Clarke countered. “You wouldn’t have to know anything about me.”

Bellamy frowned, finally looking over at her. “That is the easy way out and you know it.”

She hugged her knees to her chest. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Are you just slumming with the staff to annoy your mom?” he repeated. 

“No,” Clarke answered. “I actually like spending time with you guys, especially Raven, Octavia, and Jasper. It’s nice to be around people who care about more than the latest Apple products and which college major will get them the highest paycheck after four years. It’s nice to be around people who don’t care that my mom is one of the top surgeons in the country or that my dad was an engineer or that I’m supposed to be going to an Ivy League college or anything like that. It’s nice to get to just be a person for a while.”

“A person?” he said. “In comparison to what?”

“A doll,” she said simply. “Dressed up by everyone else and given a part to play.”

He continued to watch her, lips pressed in a thin line. She looked away, her gaze far away as she looked across the lake. 

“I don’t get along with my mom,” Clarke said quietly. “But I did with my dad. He was great, he cared about what I wanted and cared about in a way that Mom just never has been able to. He was going to help me talk to her about going to an art school rather than somewhere for a pre-med program.”

“What happened?” Bellamy asked softly.

“He died,” Clarke replied, voice matter-of-fact. “He was coming home late from a meeting at work and a drunk driver hit his car. The medics say he was dead on impact.”

Bellamy carefully reached a hand across the space between them, fingers brushing against her hand in the sand. “I’m sorry.”

She kept her eyes focused on something across the lake, ignoring the film of tears forming along her eyelids. “It happened in March of last year. He’s been gone barely a year and already Mom is dating someone new and acting like- like- like Dad’s been gone forever and she’s moved on,” her voice trembled with the struggle of holding back tears. “Maybe she can forget that easily, but I sure can’t. And she keeps pushing for me to go to college and become a doctor and I don’t care at all about that stuff. She wants me to be someone that I don’t want to be. So yeah, I have issues with my mom.” 

Bellamy watched as she tried to casually brush away her tears against her knees. He stood up, brushing sand off his pants before reaching a hand down to her. “Come on,” he said as he helped pull her up. “Let’s go for a swim.”

She looked away as he pulled off his black t-shirt, feeling uncomfortable from her confessions and his nearness. He stripped down to just his boxers, looking back at her as he walked into the water. “Are you coming?”

Wordlessly she shrugged out of her tank-top, dropping it onto the sand. She stepped out of her high-waisted shorts before following Bellamy into the water, ignoring the feel of his eyes on her skin. Clarke walked until the water reached her waist and then dove under the water, taking a moment of comfort in the silence of submersion. When she came back up she took in a deep breath of air, brushing her wet hair away from her face. 

Bellamy stood where she had left him, the water just hitting the tops of his hips. He watched her, dark eyes intense. His gaze slid down her body before jerking back up to her eyes. “Come here, we’re going to work on the final lift.”

“I thought we were ending the dance with the dip,” Clarke commented as she moved back to him, stopping in front of him. 

He shook his head. “The dip is the closing move of the dance. The lift leads into the dip.”

“And we have to do this in the water because…”

“The water reduces weight, which means that you will feel lighter when you go into the lift,” Bellamy explained. “It’ll be easier for you to jump into the lift, which means that hopefully you’ll get used to the motion enough to be able to do it on land.”

Clarke wasn’t totally sure if his logic made sense, but she nodded. He tensed into a catching pose, hands just barely touching her waist. “Alright,” Bellamy said. “Jump up on three. One, two, three!”

She pushed herself to jump out of the water, failing to get much higher than a foot and crashing into Bellamy, knocking them both over. Spluttering, they stood back up and repositioned themselves. “Okay,” Bellamy said. “Let’s try that again.”

An hour later they dragged themselves out of the water. There had been two successful lift attempts, during which Clarke had held herself like she was flying and Bellamy had supported her above his head. Each time had ended with Clarke losing her balance and swan diving into the water. 

“It’ll get easier,” Bellamy promised as they threw their dry clothes back on. “We’ll keep working on the lift and, honestly, I think you have the rest of the dance down pretty well.” 

Clarke looked down at the ground, a small smile forming on her face from his praise. “Thanks.”

He shrugged, opening the passenger door for her as she climbed into his truck. “I give credit where credit is due. You’re a quick learner.” 

Neither spoke much as they drove back to the resort. Clarke hopped out of the truck once it was parked back near Bellamy’s cabin in the staff area, waiting for him awkwardly as he got out and walked around to her side of the car. “Thanks for today,” she said quietly. “For listening. I, um, I don’t really talk about that stuff often, and it was actually kind of nice to get it out.”

He nodded. “Anytime you need to talk it out again, Princess, I’ll be around.”

She nodded, flashing him a quick smile before turning and starting back towards the resort on the path through the woods. Her footsteps seemed loud in the quiet of the trees, but her cabin appeared all too soon. After a quick shower to get the feel of the lake water off her skin, Clarke dressed in a simple pale pink sundress and left to meet her mom and Kane for afternoon refreshments. 

The rest of the week flew by until it was the night of the performance. She met Bellamy at his cabin at six o’clock, having told her mom that she had a headache and just needed to sleep it off. They climbed into Bellamy’s truck and drove fifteen minutes to the resort next door where they had been scheduled to dance. Clarke awkwardly changed into her dress in the passenger seat, making sure not to look over at Bellamy as she pulled the red halter dress over her head and pulled her tank-top out from underneath it along with her shorts. She trust a few pins into her hair to hold it in a knot as they pulled into the parking lot.

“Remember, the most important thing is for you to follow my lead,” Bellamy murmured as they waited backstage for their cue. “You know the dance, so just ignore the audience and focus on the steps.”

She nodded stiffly, back straightening at the sound of applause that served as their cue to appear on the stage. He took one more look at her before taking her hand and pulling him after him into a space of blinding lights. Clarke automatically formed her half of the frame as he put his hand on her waist, taking the first steps as the music began. It all went without a hitch until the moment came for the lift. Her steps didn’t feel right and she couldn’t get herself to push up off the floor when his hands landed on her waist. Bellamy covered the moment with a quick spin as he pushed against her sides, grabbing her again after a moment to lower her in the ending dip. The audience applauded as they took their bows and hurried off the stage.

“I messed up,” Clarke muttered as they went out the staff entrance to the parking lot. “I messed up.”

“It went fine,” Bellamy assured her, still holding her hand as they reached his truck. “No one else knew that there was supposed to be a lift. You did well, Clarke.”

She looked up at him, nervously returning his smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he helped her into the truck, closing the door behind her. “How are we doing for time?”

She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “I should be able to get back to the cabin before my mom. She and Kane usually take at least two hours for dinner.”

“But if she thinks you’re sick?” he asked, turning the car onto the road.

Clarke grimaced. “Drive fast,” she started sliding her shorts back on under the dress, shifting around in her seat until she was back in her normal clothes. The only thing remaining from her dance outfit was her hair tied up and the light makeup she wore. Bellamy pulled to a stop in the staff parking area, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

“Clarke,” he started. “I- um,” he stammered slightly, looking over at her. Bellamy took a deep breath and started again. “Thank you. I know this night meant a lot to Octavia.”

“You’re welcome,” Clarke replied, touched by the sincerity in his voice. “Thank you too, for everything.”

He nodded, leaning in slightly before pulling back again, glancing at the clock. “You should probably go. Don’t want your mom to find out you sneaked out with the dance instructor.”

Clarke nodded, slightly disappointed by his dismissal. She slid out of the truck and dashed away through the woods, getting back to her cabin and diving beneath the covers five minutes before she heard her mother return. The floors of the cabin creaked as Abby peaked through the door at Clarke and then left her alone. 

After a few hours spent tossing and turning, Clarke sat up in her bed and made a decision. Throwing aside her blankets she got out of bed and threw on her cut-off jeans and a blue top. She pulled her hair up into a bun on top of her head and slipped a pair of flip flops onto her feet. Making sure Abby was asleep, Clarke left the cabin and made her way through the woods to the staff area. Shifting on her feet, she knocked on Bellamy’s door.

He opened the door wearing nothing but his black jeans, hair a mess and the sound of music drifting lazily through the door. “Clarke?”

“Can we talk?” she asked breathlessly.

He stepped aside and let her into his space.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The 100, the characters, or Dirty Dancing.

The inside of Bellamy’s cabin was decorated simply. A bed stood against one wall, the blankets rumpled at the end of the bed and the pillows in a pile at the top. An old wooden dresser stood beside an open window, an old-fashioned record player sitting on top of it. Clarke watched the vinyl record spin on the player, the needle causing the record to bob up and down just slightly. Bellamy motioned for her to sit on the one chair in the room while he leaned against the dresser. 

She sat down on the chair gingerly, leaning slightly against the leather jacket that had been thrown over its back. “Sorry to visit so late. I just… I wanted to see you.”

“You said you wanted to talk,” he said, expression bland. “What’s going on?”

“Um,” she looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. “I don’t know. I was lying in bed and couldn’t sleep and I just kept thinking and then I was here.”

“Don’t give me that, princess,” he said. “Why are you here?”

She sighed, shrugging. “I guess I just wanted to say thank you again. This last week was the happiest I’ve been in a long time. So thanks for that.”

“You were at your happiest while being pushed to exhaustion by a jerk of a dance instructor?” Bellamy joked. “You need to get some better things in your life. Have you tried waterskiing? I hear that’s a blast.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. “I was happy because I was doing something for me instead of for my mother. And you really aren’t as much of a jerk as you seem to believe,” she looked him in the eye. “You’re a good guy, Bellamy, and I’m glad that I got to know you.”

He nodded, muscle flexing in his jaw. “So that’s why you’re here then?” he asked. “This is you saying goodbye. You had fun, but now you did your favor for Octavia and are going back to the guest crowd.”

“No!” Clarke snapped. “That’s not what I’m doing! Maybe this started out as a favor for Octavia, who is my friend by the way, but that’s not what this is anymore.”'

“This? What is this?” Bellamy demanded, stepping away from the dresser. 

“Us!” Clarke replied, jumping to her feet. “You and me! We were doing this for Octavia, but Bellamy this hasn’t been about that for the past few days, at least not for me. That’s why I’m here. I’m here for you!”

He just stared at her, brown eyes surprised and frozen on her face. She felt herself slowly turn pink as the silence between them stretched, the record clicking to a stop on the turntable as it finished the last song on its side. Clarke looked away from Bellamy. “Look, I get that you think I’m some spoiled brat and that I’m just hanging out with you and the rest of the staff to annoy my mom. And maybe some part of that was true when I first got here, but not now. And I get that you probably don’t care about me the way that I’d like you to. But would you do one favor for me?” Clarke looked back at Bellamy, her blue eyes calm despite the emotion in her voice. “Would you dance with me? Right now, just one dance.”

“Clarke,” he murmured, voice low and soft. 

She ignored him, walking past him to the turntable, flipping the record and starting the music again. Walking up behind him, Clarke placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and dragged it lightly across his bare back until she stood in front of him with her hand at his waist. Carefully she placed her other hand on his chest slightly above his heart. She looked up at him, blue eyes meeting his just as they melted into a darker shade of brown. He placed a hand at the small of her back and let the other trail down her arm from the hand on his chest before resting it between her shoulder blades. Slowly he lowered her in a dip before lifting her back up to him, their hips pressed together as they swayed to the beat of the music. 

Clarke closed her eyes, savoring the heat of his body despite the warm humidity of the night. She let him lower her in another dip before lifting her back up as she opened her eyes. His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips and down the column of her neck as she gracefully curved back into his embrace. Bellamy’s lips parted slightly, his breath lightly crossing her forehead. 

“You’re wrong, you know,” he murmured after the first verse and chorus of the song had passed. “The last few days haven’t been about helping Octavia for me either.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She rested her head briefly on the hand she kept pressed to his chest before leaning back for him to dip her again. As he pulled her out of the dip she made sure to roll her hips into his, forcing a gasp from his lungs. Clarke moved her hand down his chest, stopping at his hipbone as she moved the hand she’d kept at his waist around to his back, pressing them more fully together. His hands on her back pressed slightly harder into her skin, clenching slightly in her tank top before loosening again. One of his hands moved up to lightly trail down the side of her neck to her shoulder, leaving a trail of heat in his wake. 

Clarke tilted her face up to him, watching him as he watched his hand continue its path down her arm and back up again until he was cupping the back of her neck. Bellamy lifted his eyes to her for the briefest moment before they both surged forward and into each other, lips latching together in a fierce kiss. She opened her mouth the moment his tongue touched her lips, allowing him to taste her and retreat like the tide before she did the same to him. His hands cupped her face, holding her to him as she kept her grip on his sides. They pulled away for a moment of air before plunging back in, hands beginning to roam. 

Bellamy pulled the hair elastic from her bun, letting her blonde waves fall around her shoulders and into his hands. Clarke let her hands run freely over the muscles of his chest and stomach, finally linking them together behind Bellamy’s neck and trying to pull herself closer to him. On their next break for air they kept their foreheads pressed together, eyes closed as they tried to catch their breath.

“You should go,” Bellamy murmured. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

“It’s a bit late for that now,” she replied, fingers twining in his curls. “I want to stay.”

He kissed her again. “If you stay we won’t just be kissing,” Bellamy warned. “I’m not that good of a guy.”

She smiled against his lips. “Prove it.”

Bellamy growled as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her from the ground, carrying her three steps over to his bed. They fell into it together, Clarke laughing as Bellamy sprinkled kisses to her face, neck, and shoulders. 

They lay together an hour later, wrapped in his sheets and each other. Clarke rested her head on Bellamy’s shoulder, her hair a slightly frizzy crown that fanned out over his skin. One of his hands absently drew designs on her bare back as they lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, his lips pressed to the top of her head. 

“Does this happen to you often?” Clarke asked quietly.

“Does what happen often?” Bellamy asked.

She rolled over slightly so she could prop herself up on her arm and look down at his face. “Women ending up in your bed after you teach them a few dances.”

“Jesus,” he muttered, laughing slightly. “Believe me when I say this is not a usual occurrence for me, Clarke.”

“But you must get offers,” she needled. 

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah, there have been a few women who offered their company after a tango lesson or two. But I never accept their advances.”

“Why not?”

Bellamy sat up, looking over at her as she lay back with her head on a pillow. “You don’t get how different things are for me here. Eight months of the year it’s just me and Octavia. She goes to school and I work odd jobs to make ends meet and the kinds of people who come to the Ark wouldn’t even glance at me on the street. Then we come here, and people treat us like some kind of celebrity or something. Everyone wants to schedule time with us, and there’s these women slipping me their room numbers and twenty dollar tips and whispering borderline obscene things to me when I’m teaching them the waltz. And then September ends and suddenly none of these people even remember I exist again.”

“Bellamy,” Clarke murmured, moving to wrap her arms around his waist and press her cheek to his chest. “I-”

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” he cut her off. “That’s just how my life is. Sorry won’t change things and I don’t even really want them to change. I mean, a little more leftover at the end of the off-season months would be nice, but I’m pretty content with my life in this moment.” Bellamy smiled down at her, dimples winking in his cheeks. 

She smiled up at him. “For the record, I could whisper some absolutely obscene things to you right now if you like.”

He laughed, rolling over her on the bed and supporting himself above her on his elbows. “Oh yeah? Do you want to talk dirty, Princess?”

Clarke left Bellamy’s cabin just before dawn the next morning as the sky was beginning to turn the palest shade of pink. He kissed her goodbye in the doorway, pressing her up against the doorframe with his hands in her hair. She pulled away finally, dropping one last quick kiss to his lips before dashing off on the trail through the woods to her own cabin. She crawled into her own bed minutes later, falling asleep quickly.

Abby woke her up a little after nine o’clock, throwing open the curtains in Clarke’s room before sitting on the edge of her bed. Clarke blinked her eyes sleepily, struggling to sit up. Abby watched her with cold eyes. “Where were you last night?”

“What?” Clarke yawned. “I was sleeping.”

“Where were you last night?” Abby repeated. “I came to check on you during the night and your bed was empty. Where did you go?”

Clarke sighed. “I went out to meet with some friends. I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note.”

“Some friends,” Abby nodded. “The staff, you mean? Clarke, you know I don’t like you spending time with them.”

“Mom,” Clarke rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm. “It’s too early for this.”

“Fine,” Abby stood up. “We will discuss this in the afternoon. Marcus and I will be golfing this morning, but I expect you to join us for lunch.”

“Fine,” Clarke said, snuggling back down under her sheets as Abby left the room. 

Lunch was a tense affair. Abby and Marcus discussed their golf game while Clarke pushed bits of a salad around on her plate. Jasper stopped by their table, refilling their water glasses while casually dropping a scrap of paper into Clarke’s lap. He flashed her a quick grin before continuing on his round around the dining room. While her mother and Kane argued over a putt one of them made, Clarke unfolded the note and quickly read it. 

 

Clarke- I totally owe you one for covering for me last night. Bell said you were great, so that’s awesome. Anyway, thanks again, you better come hang out with me soon so I can tell you about my anniversary dinner with Lincoln, and I can’t believe you banged my brother. -O

 

Clarke nearly began to choke on her water, covering it up with another sip when her mother looked over to check she was alright. Once the adults were once again absorbed in their conversation, she reread the note, feeling her cheeks turn pink. She refolded the note into a tiny square and stuck it into her ballet flat before draining her water glass. Looking up across the dining room, she saw Jasper speaking with Raven and Bellamy. Making a quick excuse to Abby and Kane, Clarke left the table and walked over to her friends. 

“Hey girl,” Raven greeted her with a grin. “Are you freed from the table of doom?”

“For now,” Clarke replied. She smiled shyly at Bellamy. “Hey.”

His lips twitched up into a smile, his eyes dropping down to the low cut neckline of her cream blouse for a moment. “Hey. I gotta get going for the one o’clock class. I’ll see you all later.” Bellamy shot her a quick wink before he vanished. 

“Alright, why was he looking at you like he’s seen you naked?” Raven demanded as Jasper went to refill more water glasses. Clarke tried to shush Raven as the two girls walked out of the dining room. “Oh my god, he’s seen you naked. Have you seen him naked?”

Clarke blushed a light pink as they walked outside. 

“Oh my god, you’ve seen him naked,” Raven said. “Damn, I’m impressed. Monty owes me ten bucks.”

“What?” Clarke asked, following Raven towards the lake.

“Monty and I had a bet about whether you and Bellamy would hook up by the end of the summer,” she explained. “He thought you would turn out to be too much of a good girl, but I knew you had a bad side. Now, tell me, how was it?”

“I’m not really a kiss-and-tell kind of girl,” Clarke replied. “And I don’t think I appreciate you betting on me.”

“Don’t take it personally,” the other girl advised. “At the start of the summer a whole group of us put together a betting pool on who we think will end up hooking up by the end of the summer. Jasper has been betting on himself getting with Octavia for years now, and has lost every time. The kid doesn’t know when to quit.”

“So who else are being bet on?” Clarke asked.

Raven shrugged. “Monty and Miller, Miller and Anya, Murphy and Anya, Maya and Jasper, Jasper and Monty, me and Jasper, Harper and Miller, oh, and you and me.”

Clarke laughed. “You and me?”

“Apparently two hot girls can’t just be friends,” Raven winked.

“To be fair, if Bellamy hadn’t happened I would have picked you,” Clarke admitted with a grin. “You are very hot.”

“Of course you’d pick me. I’m awesome,” Raven laughed. “Feel free to hit me up if things don’t work with Bellamy. Although I don’t know how I’d feel about being a rebound.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes. “When’s your next break?”

“Not until seven,” Raven replied as she climbed up into the lifeguard chair on the beach. 

“I’ll try to catch you later, then,” Clarke said with a wave. Raven blew her a kiss, making her laugh again. She went back to her cabin, wasting some time by sitting out on the stairs and sketching. Abby returned an hour later, already frowning at her daughter as she climbed the stairs. 

“Let’s talk, Clarke,” Abby said, motioning for her daughter to follow.

Clarke sat down on one of the armchairs in the living room of the cabin, opposite Abby on the sofa. “Mom, I’m going to spend time with who I like.”

“Fine,” Abby agreed without hesitation.

“What?” Clarke asked, the rest of her argument dying on her tongue. “I thought you disapproved.”

“Oh, I do,” Abby agreed. “However, you’re obviously going to do what you like regardless. I know when I’m fighting a losing battle. However, I have a few rules that you will follow if you want to continue with your current choice of companions.”

“You will join Marcus and me for lunch, refreshments, and dinner each day and be civil during them,” Abby continued. “You will not take the staff’s attention away from their jobs. You will be in your bed each morning when I wake up and check on you. Am I understood?”

“Yes,” Clarke said instantly. 

Abby stood. “Alright. I will see you in the dining room at four o’clock for refreshments.”

Clarke watched her mother leave the room, dazed and confused as to how and why she was let off so easily. The reason became clear two hours later when she reported to the dining room for refreshments and found her mother sitting with Kane, a second man, and a teenage boy. Gritting her teeth, Clarke forced a smile and walked over to the group. “Hi Mom.”

“Clarke!” Abby smiled, motioning for her to sit in the empty chair between her and the teenager. “You remember Henry Collins and his son Finn from Bingo last week, don’t you?”

“Of course, it’s very nice to see you again,” she said politely as she sat down. Finn smiled brightly at her, his floppy hair reminding her of the ears of a Labrador puppy. 

“The Collins’ will be joining us for dinner tonight,” Abby continued. “Isn’t that nice? And Finn was just telling us how he’s planning to go to Princeton in the fall for Diplomatic Relations.”

Finn shrugged. “It’s just my beginning major. I’ve heard that most people switch after the first semester.”

“Clarke used to say she wanted to be the first female president,” Abby laughed. “But now she’s thinking of pre-med, right dear?”

“Actually, I’m more interested in art,” Clarke replied with a smile. “It doesn’t pay as well, but I think I prefer the thought of my hands covered in paint rather than blood.”

Abby choked on her iced tea. “Clarke!”

“Sorry,” she replied without feeling, ignoring Finn laughing beside her and the slightly amused look on Kane’s face. “So, Finn, where are you from?”

Late that night Clarke lay in Bellamy’s bed again, watching him flip the record on the turntable. She snuggled up against him when he returned to bed, draping an arm over her shoulders. “I think she’s trying to force me into making friends with the other guests,” Clarke said. “She already told me that tomorrow we’re having lunch with the Jahas and I am not allowed to mention art school or blood.”

“She just wants you to be around people who are good for you,” he replied. “Can’t blame her for that.”

“I’m already around people who are good for me,” Clarke answered. “You, Raven, Octavia, Jasper. You’re all good for me. You let me be whoever I want to be, not just who you want me to be. That’s good for me.”

“But we can’t give you status or recommendations for schools,” he said. “That’s what your mom wants for you.”

“Yeah, well that’s her problem,” Clarke hugged him tighter. “I am perfectly happy with the people I chose.” 

Bellamy tilted her head up to kiss her, reinforcing her satisfaction with her choices.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long break between updates. Real life got kind of crazy busy for a while, so I've been dealing with that. Now that things are calmer (ish) I should be able to write more often. Thank you to everyone who has been commenting or liking the story!

“And so the judge had no choice but to declare a mistrial,” Theolonius Jaha said, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied smile. Clarke struggled not to roll her eyes as she stabbed at the salad on her plate. She’d been forced to sit through weekly meals with Jaha and his son Wells since the end of June when she had made the deal with her mother, resulting in seven meals that were dull enough to make Clarke contemplate killing herself using a spoon. That, of course, was excluding the meals with the Collins and one painfully awkward tea with an elderly couple and their sullen granddaughter whose name Clarke had forgotten immediately. 

Abby smiled in response to Jaha’s story of defending a CEO from charges of corruption and embezzlement. “So, Wells, you’re starting college in a few weeks, correct?”

Clarke bit back a sigh as the inane chitchat continued. After another hour and a half she was finally released from the dinner table. She managed to smile politely through her goodbyes before taking off for the employee side of the resort. She stopped briefly in her own cabin to strip off the structured ivory dress she had worn for supper, instead slipping into a flowy blue sundress before tearing out the door again and through the trees. 

Bellamy sat on the front step outside his employee cabin, dressed in his usual black jeans and an old tank top. Clarke threw herself into his lap, almost knocking them both over. He laughed as he steadied them, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Hello to you, too, Princess. Rough night?”

“Jaha told another story about getting a corrupt millionaire out of prison time,” she replied, voice muffled as she kissed his shoulder. “My mom’s plan seriously backfired. No way am I going to major in something that means I’m going to be stuck with people like that for the rest of my life.”

He grinned, large hand rubbing her back soothingly. “So what are you going to do?”

“Art school,” she replied. “Like my dad and I used to talk about. I started a few applications online yesterday, so I could probably get them in by the end of the week and still make their deadline.”

“Don’t you have to send in a portfolio or something?” Bellamy asked.

“I scanned some of my sketches in Kane’s office while he was out wandering around,” Clarke replied. “I can send in digital copies, and I already had some of my old work scanned in from the school year.”

“How did you get into his office?” he asked, impressed.

She shrugged. “Raven helped me out. Apparently his lock is really bad.”

Bellamy laughed and shook his head. “I think we’ve been bad influences on you,” he stood up carefully, holding her hand to pull her up with him.

“Maybe,” she conceded as they went into his cabin. “But at least I’m having fun, right?”

He grinned as he flipped through the stack of vinyl records on his dresser. “I’m not sure if that’s how it works.”

“It should be,” she replied, flopping down on his bed and stretching her arms out to either side. She sat back up as he put the needle of the record player down onto an album. “Do you wanna dance?”

“With you? Always,” he grinned, taking her offered hand and pulling her to her feet, holding her close and starting to sway. 

She wiggled a little, putting a hand on his chest and pushing them apart. “Whoa there, Bellamy, whatever happened to that beautiful frame?” Clarke teased. He grinned, following her instructions and holding their arms in the locked frame position he had taught her. They held the position while dancing for less than half the song verse before Bellamy moved in towards her again, his arms getting loose as he leaned in for a kiss. 

Clarke laughed, pulling away again and waving his arms. “Noodle arms? Come on now, give me a frame!”

He ignored her, letting go of her hands and wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck for a moment before she pushed him off. “Whatever happened to technique?” Clarke giggled, walking over to the record player to choose something different. 

Bellamy dropped onto the foot of his bed, lying on his stomach as he watched her move around his room. She leaned against the dresser once the new record started, smirking at him. “What, tired of the lesson already?”

He grinned. “Oh, you’re the teacher now?”

She shrugged. “Depends on if you’re willing to learn? I mean, not everyone is receptive to learning new things.”

He rolled off the bed and stalked over to her, caging her in against the dresser with his arms as he pressed against her with his hips. “I think you’ll find I am very receptive,” he murmured, watching her blue eyes darken. 

She ran a hand from his jawline to the center of his chest. “Is that so?”

Bellamy leaned in to kiss her as a knock on his door interrupted them. He put his head down on her shoulder, sighing. “Who is it?”

“I’m here to talk about the final dance of the season,” Marcus Kane’s muffled voice came through the door. Both Bellamy and Clarke tensed. “Do you have a moment?”

“Now’s not really the best time,” Bellamy called back. “Could I meet with you in your office in a little while?”

“This is the only time I have to talk about this in the next two weeks,” Kane replied, voice clipped. 

Clarke stayed by the record player as Bellamy went to open the door. Without asking, Kane stepped into the cabin, stopping short when he saw his girlfriend’s daughter. Clarke had no doubt that the situation did not look innocent to Kane. Her suspicions were quickly confirmed. 

Kane turned to face Bellamy, lips turned down in a tight frown. “What is going on here?”

“Bellamy was just, um, giving me some dance lessons,” Clarke said quickly. 

Kane barely spared her a glance. “You know the rules about becoming involved with guests.”

Bellamy lifted his head, standing tall under the older man’s gaze. “Yes, I do.”

“And you know the consequences of breaking those rules,” Kane continued.

“Yes,” Bellamy repeated. “I do.”

Kane nodded. “Then there is nothing more to say here. We don’t need to discuss the final dance. Have your cabin emptied by ten o’clock tomorrow morning.” 

“No,” Clarke breathed as Kane swept out of the cabin, closing the door behind him. “No, he can’t just fire you! That’s- that’s not what just happened, right?” she looked at Bellamy, his shoulders still straight and strong as he stood by the door.

“That’s what just happened,” he confirmed. “Kane has his rules and he sticks to them. Staff are not supposed to become romantically or physically involved with guests. If they do so, the staff involved will be let go.”

Clarke sank down to sit on the edge of the bed. “But that’s not fair! It takes two people to have a relationship. The guest is just as much to blame, and, oh god, I started this. I’m the one who came to you and took this all past friendship or whatever the heck it was that we had at first, oh god, I got you fired.”

“Hey, hey,” Bellamy knelt down on the floor in front of her, taking her hands in his. “This is just as much on me as on you. More so, I’d say. I knew the rules and I could have sent you away, but I didn’t. You’re right, it takes two. You are not to blame for any of this, okay?”

She looked up into his eyes. “What are you going to do?”

He leaned her forehead against hers, eyes open so he could see her. “I’m going to kiss you and we’re going to spend the night together again. And then I’m going to pack up my things and go.”

She closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly as she held back a sob. “So you’re just going to leave?”

“What other choice do I have?” he whispered. “I can’t stay here anymore. Octavia will finish off the season, and I can just head back home a little early and pick up some shifts at the garage.”

“And us?” she murmured, breath light on his lips. “You and me?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, voice breaking. Bellamy cleared his throat, taking in a deep breath. “I- I love you, Clarke, but I’m not sure if we ever had a chance past this summer.”

She let out a jagged breath as a tear slid down her cheek. “So that’s it? You’re deciding for both of us?”

He let go of her hands to cup her face. “I’m trying to do the right thing. You have so much ahead of you, you’re not going to want to be tied to some guy you met over the summer.”

“You’re not just some guy,” she argued, voice thick. “I love you.”

He closed his eyes, blinking back tears of his own. “You deserve more.”

“I don’t want more,” she told him. “Haven’t I made that clear? I want you, Bellamy!”

He shook his head, pulling her closer for a kiss. Their lips met with desperation, her hands lifting to tangle in his curly hair. One of his hands slid to the small of her back, guiding her to the very edge of the bed so that her legs were on either side of him as he leaned her back. He broke the kiss as he hovered over her, sprinkling kisses down her neck as she held onto him. Bellamy moved back up to kiss her mouth again, tasting salt from the tears and sweat on her skin.

An hour later they laid together, limbs tangled together and the blankets pushed off the bed. Bellamy ran his fingers through her hair, her cheek pressed to his heart. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to preserve the moment in her mind. “Do you have to go?”

Bellamy tipped her face up to his, kissing her slowly and deeply before pulling away and getting out of the bed. She watched as he pulled a duffle out from under the bed. As he began to empty the dresser, she slid off the bed and pulled on her clothes. Once she was dressed again she moved to stand behind him, lightly running her fingertips over his shoulder before pressing a kiss to the skin there. Without a word, she left the cabin and returned to the one she shared with her mother.

Abby sat in the living room, waiting for her. She looked up from a book once Clarke walked in, setting it down and standing up as Clarke approached her. Silently Abby took in Clarke’s appearance and expression before opening her arms. Clarke hesitated slightly before stepping into her mother’s embrace. 

“I take it that all those nights you weren’t in your bed, you were with him?” she asked, voice gentle. Clarke nodded. Abby tightened her hug. “Did you love him?”

Clarke let out a strangled sob and held onto her mom more tightly. Abby gently ran her hand over Clarke’s head and along her hair, cheek pressed to Clarke’s forehead while her daughter cried. Once Clarke calmed down a bit, Abby let her go and tugged her to the couch by the wrist. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? The truth would be nice this time.”

Curling up in the opposite corner of the couch from her mom, Clarke took a deep breath and started talking. Abby’s expression remained difficult to read throughout Clarke’s monologue, but she refrained from interrupting and only stopped Clarke once to make them both a cup of tea. 

When Clarke’s words finally ran out, Abby set their tea sups aside and wrapped her in another hug. “I wish you had told me all of this from the start,” she murmured.

“You never would have let me do any of it,” Clarke replied.

“That wouldn’t have stopped you,” Abby replied ruefully. “At least I could have been there to try to help somehow.”

Clarke shrugged. “It’s too late now, Mom,” she took in a shaky breath. “It’s already all screwed up past repair.”

Abby lightly kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t you get some sleep? We’ll try to figure this all out in the morning.”

Clarke stood up, starting to walk towards her bedroom before stopping and turning around. “Mom? I don’t want to go to school and become a doctor.”

Abby sighed, rubbing at the lines on her forehead. “I knew this would come up soon. What do you want to do?”

“Art school,” Clarke said simply. “I’ve started some applications.”

Abby nodded. “We’ll talk about that in the morning too. Get some sleep, Clarke. We have time for everything else tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was shorter than usual! It was either two shorter chapters to wrap up the story or one super long chapter, and I decided to go with the 2 shorter. Next chapter hopefully will be done in the next few days, so please hang on with me!


	6. Chapter 6

Clarke stayed in bed the next morning, curled up under her blankets while a light rain fell outside. She heard Abby return to the cabin after meeting Marcus for breakfast and pulled the covers over her head, wiping tears off her cheeks with her pillow. Her bed dipped slightly as Abby sat down on the edge. She felt her mother put a gentle hand over the blankets where her shoulder created a mound. 

“How are you feeling?” Abby asked carefully.

Clarke pushed the covers off her face and looked up at her mom. “Did you talk to Marcus? Did he change his mind?”

Abby smoothed a loose strand of hair away from Clarke’s face, her lips tightening in a frown. “He’s standing by his dismissal of Bellamy. I’m sorry, Clarke, but he has a business to run and he can’t make exceptions when his employees break the rules. It would set a poor example.”

Clarke felt her chin wobble and pressed the side of her face back into the pillow and away from her mother’s hand. “So that’s it. You’re not even going to try to convince him otherwise.”

Abby sighed, folding her hands in her lap. “This is his choice. He owns the resort, so he gets to make the decisions regarding the resort. It is not my place to interfere.”

“Well, I’m your daughter and, not to make this a big deal or anything, but my happiness is at stake!” Clarke replied, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “Did you not listen to anything I said last night? I will not be happy here without Bellamy. It’s bad enough we were going to have to be separated at the end of the summer, but we were supposed to have a few more weeks!”

Abby reached out to wipe away the tears that had started sliding down Clarke’s cheeks again, but Clarke jerked away from her. Swinging her legs off the bed, Clarke went over to her dresser and pulled a sweatshirt on over her pajama top and the short shorts she slept in. “I can’t be around you right now,” she told her mother. “I need some air.”

Abby followed her to the cabin door. “Clarke, this was out of my control, I’m sorry.”

Clarke sighed, pausing with her hand on the door. “I know, Mom,” she replied quietly. “I’ll be back, I just need to walk or something.”

“I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk again,” Abby promised. 

Clarke hurried down the wooden steps to the path, turning to the path that led through the woods. Her flip-flops sunk slightly in the wet dirt as she walked. The cool rain soothed her irritated eyes and warm cheeks. She stopped once she was at the end of the path, looking out at the staff cabins. Reflexively she looked to where Bellamy kept his truck parked. 

It was gone.

Clarke stumbled over to the step of the cabin where Bellamy had stayed, sinking down on the worn wood and pressing her forehead to her knees. She gulped in air, doing her best to keep from crying again. She flinched when someone began rubbing her back in soothing circles. Turning her head, she saw Octavia sitting beside her. The other girl’s long hair was loose around her face and she was wrapped in a sweater three sizes too big for her. 

“I’m so sorry, O,” Clarke choked out. “This is my fault.”

Octavia shook her head, lips pursed. “It’s not,” she replied. “I get that you think it is, but Bellamy knew what could happen. We all did. Really, if anyone should be blamed it’s me. I mean, I brought you to that party the first night and then bossed you into covering for me with the dancing and apparently made you and my brother fall in love. So really it’s my fault.”

Clarke let out a watery laugh. “You didn’t make us fall in love. That kind of just happened on its own.”

Octavia kept rubbing Clarke’s back. “He really does love you, you know?”

“I know,” Clarke replied. “I love him too.”

Octavia wrapped her arms around Clarke, holding onto her while the blonde cried. She murmured soothingly, rocking her gently. “It’s okay,” Octavia repeated. “It’ll be okay. I don’t necessarily know how, but things will be okay.”

“You’re not really good at the comforting words thing,” Clarke sobbed. 

“Sorry,” Octavia replied. “Bellamy is always the one who knows what to say. I’m more of a physical person.”

Clarke nodded into her shoulder. “You are a really good hugger.”

“Aww, thanks!” Octavia beamed. “Do you need a longer hug?”

Clarke shook her head, pulling away. “I should get back and talk with my mom. I think we’re going to try to figure out some kind of deal so I can go to art school. I just wanted to- to see if he had really left.”

Octavia nodded, serious once again. “Do you want me to tell him anything next time I talk with him?”

Clarke shook her head as the girls stood. “There’s not really anything more to say.”

Octavia hugged her one more time before letting her walk back to her cabin, leaving the dark haired girl in the staff area. Clarke took her time walking back up the steps to the cabin, letting the light rain sooth her. Abby waited inside, looking up from a book once Clarke finally went in. 

“Are you hungry?” Abby asked. “We could get you a late breakfast?”

Clarke shook her head, sitting down in the same corner of the couch as the previous night. “Can we talk about art school?”

“Alright,” Abby set aside her book, turning to face her daughter. “Are you sure that it’s something you actually want to do? I don’t want you to go to school and end up with a degree for something that’s just a hobby.”

“It’s not just a hobby,” Clarke protested. “I honestly feel better about just about everything when I’m working on a new piece. It makes me happy, and I would like to make it a large part of my future.”

“You know it’s difficult to make any real money as an artist,” Abby cautioned. 

“I’d rather be happy and have less money than hate my job and be rich,” Clarke replied dryly. “If nothing else I could get a job as an art teacher.”

Abby sighed. “I’ll think about it, alright? When would the applications be due?”

“September first,” Clarke replied. “They have rolling admissions up until the beginning of term.”

Abby stood. “I’ll think this over and let you know, alright? I have to go take care of a few things, but are you still planning to join us for lunch?”

“Do I have to talk to Marcus?” Clarke asked. 

Abby sighed. “Why don’t you eat with your friends instead?”

Clarke smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

The next two weeks went by more quickly than Clarke would have expected, and soon it was the last night of the summer season at Ark Resort. She sat in her bedroom with Raven, throwing the last few things back into her suitcase. Raven watched from her seat in the center of the bed. “You’re going to come back next summer, right?”

Clarke shrugged. “If Mom is still dating Kane, I won’t really have much of a choice.” 

“Was your summer really so awful?” Raven asked, rolling over onto her back.

Clarke paused in front of her suitcase, a sweater in her hands. “No, it wasn’t,” she admitted. “But the ending kind of has sucked.”

“Well, that’s what happens when the boss finds out you’ve been fucking the staff,” Raven said lightly. “So maybe keep from doing that next year and we should all be good.”

Clarke threw the sweater at Raven. “Shut up, Reyes.”

Abby poked her head around the side of the door. “Clarke, are you almost ready to go? The final show is starting in fifteen minutes.”

“Yeah,” Clarke replied. “I just need to put on my dress.”

“Well, hurry it up,” Abby ordered. “We need to be going. It’s wonderful to see you, Raven.”

“You too, Ms. Griffin,” Raven replied. The two had become weirdly friendly since Abby had given into the friendships her daughter had formed with members of the staff. Clarke tried not to think about it too much, deciding that she’d rather her mother be nice to her friends than be icy and condemning. 

Raven tied the sash on Clarke’s pale pink dress for her while Clarke dragged a brush through her blonde curls. The dress clung to her upper body before flaring out at her hips. She slid her feet into a pair of matching heels and put a pearl bracelet on her wrist before linking arms with Raven. “So are you going to be working the whole time?”

“Nah,” Raven replied as they followed Abby out of the cabin. “But I will be skulking at the back of the room with Octavia and Jasper, so you’ll know where to find us if you get bored.”

Clarke grinned. “I’ll remember that.”

She bid Raven goodbye at the doorway to the ballroom, following Abby to a small table in the front corner by the stage. She sat in the chair closest to the wall, merely saying a polite greeting to Kane as he rushed over to greet them before the show began. He queued the band to start playing, the lounge singer he’d hired for the summer beginning to croon the same songs she’d sung all season.

An hour and a half later the show was winding down, the last group of preteen girl guests leaving the stage after an off-key recital of a few Disney songs. Clarke glanced towards the back of the room as a rustle moved through the guests, stiffening in her seat when she recognized the young man crossing the room towards her. His curls were a mess, his face was determined, and he wore a leather jacket over his usual white t-shirt and black dance slacks. Unconsciously, Clarke rose to her feet as he approached her. 

Bellamy stretched out a hand to her. “Come on,” he said. “Princesses don’t get left in corners.”

She took his hand, ignoring Abby’s confused look as he led her up the side steps to stand on the stage. Bellamy crossed to center stage and stepped in front of Marcus, getting to the microphone before the older man. “I’ve danced the last dance of the season for the last four summers, and I’m not going to miss out on this one,” he announced.  
He glanced back at Marcus, watching in silence as his former boss nodded and walked off the stage, leaving just Clarke and Bellamy standing on it. Bellamy cleared his throat, nodding at Miller in the wings to get the music ready and throwing him his leather jacket before walking back over to Clarke and taking her hand while leading her to center stage. He grinned as he took her hand, kissing her knuckles as the music began. 

“Now I’ve had the time of my life,” the singer on the record crooned. Bellamy spun her out and pulled her in again, holding her tightly. Clarke leaned her head back against his shoulder, her back pressed to his chest as he lifted her arm around his shoulder and ran his hand down her arm. The staff at the back of the room let out wolf whistles and yells, cheering them on. “No I’ve never felt like this before/ yes I swear it’s the truth/ and I owe it all to you.”

They moved the steps of the dance Bellamy had originally taught her in for their performance as the beat changed, moving fluidly into the routine they’d done hundreds of times. They danced closer than they had at the start of the summer, not staying focused on their frame. “I’ve been waiting for so long/ now I’ve finally found someone/ to stand by me.”  
“We saw the writing on the wall/ and we felt this magical fantasy.” They followed the routine they had danced at the start of the summer, getting cheers from the crowd at some of the more complicated footwork. 

They got through most of the routine before Bellamy suddenly stopped, staring at her with a hunger in his eyes. His gaze roved over her face greedily, drinking her in as she smiled up at him. “With my body and soul/ I want you more than you’ll ever know.”

Just as suddenly as he had stopped, he spun her again, making her laugh as he pulled her back to him. They did a few more steps of their established routine before he pulled her in closer and they pressed their hips together, moving in a grinding rhythm for a moment before returning to their frame. Bellamy lifted her and spun them while she kept her legs folded in a perfect line before he set her down again. She grinned into his shoulder as they hugged before he broke away from her and jumped off the stage, motioning for the rest of the staff to join him in a kind of line dance down the center aisle of the ballroom. Octavia and Raven were right behind him as he began leading the staff back towards the stage.

He stopped about halfway back to the stage, lifting his eyebrows at her while the staff passed him. She grinned and nodded, moving to the edge of the stage and letting Jasper, Monty, and Murphy lift her down before she took off running, jumping just as he reached out for her. He held her above his head, her body stretched in perfect form while they held the lift and the crowd when wild with applause. Clarke laughed in pure happiness as Bellamy slowly lowered her back down, his arms tight around her. 

While the staff and audience began to mingle and continue dancing, Bellamy kissed her hard. “I shouldn’t have left,” he told her. “I got five minutes away and missed you like an ache. All I did while I was home was miss you and mope around my friend Wick’s garage.”  
\  
She grinned, pulling him down for another kiss. “I’m glad you came back.”

He took her hand and led her out of what was quickly become a mess of a dance room. “Well, I couldn’t exactly just leave the girl I’m in love with, now could I?”

She beamed up at him as they left the main building and began the path back to his cabin. “No, I don’t suppose you could.”

 

One Year Later

Clarke laughed as she was swept off her feet and spun in a circle. “Miss me?” she teased. 

Bellamy kissed her soundly before setting her down. “A bit,” he replied, his grin taking up his face. “When did you get here?”

“Last night,” Clarke said, holding his hand while he pulled his duffle out of the bed of his truck with the other. “I was one of the first people here, so I got to pick the best cabin.”

“And how is your mom dealing with the fact that her daughter is one of the staff this year?” he asked, letting her drag him towards a cabin. 

Clarke shrugged. “It was her idea, so she can’t say anything bad about it. I mean, one of her conditions for art school was that I got actual art jobs on my resume, and leading a summer art class at a resort is pretty good resume material.”

Bellamy smirked. “Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to make out with staff members without risking getting anyone fired.”

“Shut up,” she told him as she pushed open the cabin door. “I’ve apologized for that a million times.”

He kissed her cheek before looking around and frowning at her things already scattered around the cabin. “Wasn’t this my cabin last year?”

“Mhmm,” she replied casually. “Like I said, I got here first, so I got to choose my cabin.”

“You chose my cabin?” he clarified. “That’s low, Clarke.”

“Oh, please,” Clarke rolled her eyes as she put her arms around his neck. “We both know that we’ll end up spending our nights together, and this is the largest of the staff cabins. I planned ahead.”

He smirked. “Is this your way of asking me to live with you?”

“Just for the summer,” she said. “And my mom definitely doesn’t need to know.”

“Deal,” he said, dropping his duffle and wrapping his arms around her. “And, for the record, she doesn’t need to know about what we’re about to do,” he murmured into her neck.

“Deal,” she echoed as he kissed her again, slow and dirty. 

It would be a good summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks! Thank you so much to everyone who left kudos and comments, it was so great to see other people were also enjoying this story. I apologize for not knowing more about dancing and so having lame descriptions of the actual dancing, but I hope you all enjoyed everything else! 
> 
> Come hang out with me on tumblr!

**Author's Note:**

> I have fallen down the Bellarke rabbit hole. Please note that I have only seen the first season of the 100, so any mistakes in characterization would (hopefully) be caused by that.


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